Making Time to Write: Simple Strategies for a Busy Life

Published January 6, 2026

By Trista Herring Baughman

Writing is essential to my being; even so, it often gets pushed aside due to more urgent tasks. Busy schedules, endless distractions, and a lack of routine or time management are obstacles for every writer. Still, writing can become a consistent part of your day with the implementation of a few practical strategies.

Treat writing like an appointment. You pencil in meetings and errands. Next time you sit down to schedule your day, be sure to pencil in time for writing. You wouldn’t cancel an important business meeting lightly; give your writing that same priority.

Start small and build momentum. If you have an hour a day you can block off and stay focused, that’s fantastic. If you’re having trouble finding the time, or if words don’t come easily when you sit down to write, start by setting smaller goals—say 10 minutes or 200 words—and increase your goals as your schedule and mindset shift. This will help you create a habit and reduce resistance. Consistency is more important in the beginning than duration.

Create a writing-ready environment. If your PC isn’t charged or you can’t find your notebook, you won’t get much writing done. You’ll spend your time locating the items you need, become stressed, and end up doomscrolling social media. If you take a few minutes the night before to plug things in, tidy your writing area, and remove distractions, you’ll lower your activation energy and make it easier to start the task at hand. Think about your biggest distractions. Do you fall down the rabbit hole of research? Get drawn into the latest gossip in group chats? Notice you haven’t tidied up your writing supplies and decide to reorganize everything?

Remove what distracts you, and your focus will improve over time. Be flexible but consistent. You may need to experiment to find the best time for you to write or what conditions promote productivity for your lifestyle. “How do you eat an elephant?” One bite at a time. Even small writing sprints sprinkled throughout your day will add up.

A personal goal of mine this year is to make writing a more regular part of my day. I hope this year is your best writing year yet. Stay tuned to Writing from the Peak for great writing tips and insights each week. On behalf of Pikes Peak Writers and myself, Happy Writing and Happy New Year!

Trista Herring Baughman is a blogger and Children’s writer. She is also the Managing Editor of Writing from the Peak (PPW’s blog) and Managing Editor of Mississippi Folklore, a collaborative collection of Mississippi folklore and legends. Her books, The Magic Telescope, Halloween Night and Other Poems, and Zombiesaurs (which she co-illustrated with her sons), can be found at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Visit Trista on her website.